“Damn! I spoke out again.” PRT: 0:58

These days the most revealing things seem to be coming to me in cycles. Last month I bought a great bike. Being a contrarian rebel, I went ahead and joined the thousands of cyclists (Twin Cities is noted as the #2 cycling city in the nation after Portland – we have more sunshine than they do!). OK, so I conformed. I testify that after 119.8 miles logged so far, I am addicted.

So, what does this have to do with branding, communications or life you might ask? Here’s what I have realized that is shifting my thinking:

1. Bike seats are very hard and a pain in the butt. There are some amazing places I can go on a bike that I just can’t get to by plane, car or working 15 hours a day. Sure, my butt…and shoulder…and neck…and arms are sore, but the payoff of what I see when I stop to rest is far greater than the pain in getting there. The key is to know when to stop, when to stretch, when to hydrate and when to get off your ass and readjust how you are situated.

2. There’s so many types of trails to get you there. The Twin Cities Bike Map lists the following trail options:

a. Bike route on road

b. Bike route – CAUTION: heavy traffic

c. Bike path next to road

d. Bicycle corridor trail

The Twin Cities planners do an excellent job in giving riders of all levels options to get them where they are going. You can get just about everywhere and face no greater danger than a flamboyant inline skater, family trainer-bike outings and the occasional militant squirrel. But, I can tell you that 1) getting off the path and navigating your way through side street meanderings reveal some of the magic only found in the nooks & crannies of process, 2) your heart beats VERY hard and fast when you find yourself in the middle of downtown sharing the path, very intimately, with much larger vehicles, 3) if you get really lost, the people at crosswalks are very helpful in trying to point you in directions in which they have previously travelled…if you’ll just ask… and 4) you do finally get there in the end; maybe not exactly at the time you projected or the path you planned, but certainly with more experience for the next ride.

It’s all about the ride. Everyone can get something out of the cycling experience; there’s no excuse not to. You can have a bike that’s:

a. New

b. Used

c. Abused

d. Low tech

e. High tech

f. No tech

g. Pricey

h. Moderate

i. Lifted from the junk heap

So what? The experience of gearing up for change, shifting your way of getting there, trying new paths, wandering the side roads and discovering new points of view is the best way to exercise your options. You won’t tire from the revelations you will find along the way.

Trust me, it’s the wheel deal.

That’s my spin on it.

For emphasis.

(b)